Progress 01/01/24 to 12/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:Hemp,Cannabis sativaL.,was legalized in the 2018 Farm Bill forindustrial production.Growing boomed, butprofitable agronomic practices still lag in the infant industry.Growers arespecificallyconcerned about weed and pest managementstrategiesthat do notimpactyield or quality--as there are no certified herbicides or pesticides for hemp--and theywant agronomic practices to be sustainable or even regenerative, bettering the land than when they started farming.Our researchprojected was created to assess the utility of companion cropping to address these questions. Companion cropping is a sustainable and cultural management tactic within farming systems in which a secondary crop is planted (in some spatial or temporal configuration) with the main crop, offeringan array ofpotential benefits and ecosystem services. Some of the benefits of companion crops include weed control, increased pollination and habitats for beneficial insects, pest deterrence, increased crop productivity, and soil resilience. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This work was presented at several field days including the 2024Wisconsin Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection Field day, 2024Arlington ARS HempField day on 20AUG24, and the 2024Spooner ARSHemp Field day on 26SEP24. Findings were disseminated at two field days attended by farmers and agricultural stakeholders. Informational brochures and research summaries were distributed during the events. Data collected is being compiled for future publications and presentation at agricultural conferences. A graduate student, a research technician and two undergraduate students gained hands-on experience in hemp intercropping, data collection, and soil microbiome sampling. They also expanded skillsets in cannabinoid sampling, soil analysis, and greenhouse seed production. Also by presenting research findings at field days, they enhanced their public speaking and science communication skills Two undergraduate students assisted with collecting and analyzing data for this project How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?This work was presented at several field days including the 2024Wisconsin Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection Field day, 2024Arlington ARS HempField day on 20AUG24, and the 2024Spooner ARSHemp Field day on 26SEP24. Findings were disseminated at two field days attended by farmers and agricultural stakeholders. Informational brochures and research summaries were distributed during the events. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Repeat intercropping experiments at Arlington and Spooner in the 2025 growing season. Grow selections at LCO farm to develop the dual-purpose hemp cultivar. Organize additional field days to share updated results. Begin analysis of 2024 soil and plant data to identify trends in soil health and plant yield. Expand outreach efforts by presenting findings at local tribal and regional agricultural meetings
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Todeterminewhich companion crops are most suitable within high cannabinoid hemp production, we analyzedthe effects ofintercroppingfive companions (basil, dill, cilantro, sage, and marigold) on:i) companion plant yield, ii) weed competition, iii) insect diversity, iv) hempbiomassyield, and v)cannabinoid content. This experiment was conducted at threelocations in 2024(LCO, Arlington ARS and Spooner ARS). Results show that companion cropsdifferentially andsignificantlyimpactweed coverand insect diversity, but do not significantlyimpactyield or cannabinoid content. This means that growerscan choose companion crops that fit their farm and equipment best without having to worry about a negative impact to quality and yield. Future studies will focus on implementation of companion cropping through on farm trials,an exciting and necessary next step to a sustainable future for cannabis production. Weed cover ranged from 0 to 85 percent between companions across all locations. A significant difference was found between companions and their ability to suppress weeds, (p < 0.001). The marigold treatment decreased weed cover when compared to all other treatments (p<0.05 for marigold compared to all treatments). Basil also significantly decreased weed cover (p= 0.032) when compared to blank treatments, appearing to have a suppressive effect on weeds across all environments. All other treatments -dill, blank, cilantro, and sage -did not statistically differ from each other in their ability to suppress weeds. Plant height ranged from 87.2 cm to 175.8 cm between companions across environments. No significant difference was found between companions and hemp plant height (p=0.26). Dry weight ranged from 0.2 to 2.56 pounds across companions and environments. Companion treatments did not statistically impact the dry weight of hemp plants, but there was a difference between environments for dry weight (p<0.001). Bucked weight ranged from 0.015 to 1.35 pounds across environments and companions. There was no statistical difference between companion treatments and bucked weight of hemp. Companion harvest potential value ranged from 0 to 798 dollars between companion treatments across all environments. A significant difference was found between companions and their possible value, (p<0.001). The basil treatment had significantly more potential value than any other treatment (p<0.001). Cilantro, dill, and marigold had significantly more possible worth than blank and sage, which were significantly similar and had the least potential value. THC ranged from 0.07 to 0.525 percent between locations and treatments; CBD ranged from 2.91 to 14.76 percent between locations and treatments. Both THC and CBD were not statistically impacted by companion treatments. There were more total insects in timepoint one than timepoint two across all classifications (pest, beneficial, incidental). At the first timepoint sampling, significant differences were found for the number of pests between treatments specifically between marigold and dill, with marigold having statistically less pests present that dill in all three environments. No statistical differences were observed for the other categories in timepoint one, meaning that there were no differences between numbers of beneficial or incidental insects between companion crops. Insect results from timepoint two highlight a significant difference between companions (p=0.041) specifically between basil and cilantro treatments, with cilantro having more beneficial insects than basil. • Six populations of feral hemp were planted at LCO University Farm and allowed to intercross. • Top 10% of plants (based on height and flowering time) were selected for seed harvest. • Seeds were size-selected, and 400 plants are currently growing in the UW Madison Walnut Street greenhouse for seed production for the 2025 season. Future studies should focus on expansion of this project through on farm trials with larger plot sizes, as well as long term soil assessments, in order to better understand how companion cropping in cannabis affects ecosystem services long term.
Publications
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Progress 01/01/24 to 02/06/24
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
odeterminewhich companion crops are most suitable within high cannabinoid hemp production, we analyzedthe effects ofintercroppingfive companions (basil, dill, cilantro, sage, and marigold) on:i) companion plant yield, ii) weed competition, iii) insect diversity, iv) hempbiomassyield, and v)cannabinoid content. This experiment was conducted at two locations in 2021 (LCO and WMARS) and one location in 2022 (WMARS). Results show that companion cropsdifferentially andsignificantlyimpactweed coverand insect diversity, but do not significantlyimpactyield or cannabinoid content. This means that growerscan choose companion crops that fit their farm and equipment best without having to worry about a negative impact to quality and yield. Future studies will focus on implementation of companion cropping through on farm trials,an exciting and necessary next step to a sustainable future for cannabis production. Weed cover ranged from 0 to 85 percent between companions across all locations. A significant difference was found between companions and their ability to suppress weeds, (p < 0.001). The marigold treatment decreased weed cover when compared to all other treatments (p<0.05 for marigold compared to all treatments). Basil also significantly decreased weed cover (p= 0.032) when compared to blank treatments, appearing to have a suppressive effect on weeds across all environments. All other treatments -dill, blank, cilantro, and sage -did not statistically differ from each other in their ability to suppress weeds. Plant height ranged from 87.2 cm to 175.8 cm between companions across environments. No significant difference was found between companions and hemp plant height (p=0.26). Dry weight ranged from 0.2 to 2.56 pounds across companions and environments. Companion treatments did not statistically impact the dry weight of hemp plants, but there was a difference between environments for dry weight (p<0.001). Bucked weight ranged from 0.015 to 1.35 pounds across environments and companions. There was no statistical difference between companion treatments and bucked weight of hemp. Companion harvest potential value ranged from 0 to 798 dollars between companion treatments across all environments. A significant difference was found between companions and their possible value, (p<0.001). The basil treatment had significantly more potential value than any other treatment (p<0.001). Cilantro, dill, and marigold had significantly more possible worth than blank and sage, which were significantly similar and had the least potential value. THC ranged from 0.07 to 0.525 percent between locations and treatments; CBD ranged from 2.91 to 14.76 percent between locations and treatments. Both THC and CBD were not statistically impacted by companion treatments. There were more total insects in timepoint one than timepoint two across all classifications (pest, beneficial, incidental). At the first timepoint sampling, significant differences were found for the number of pests between treatments specifically between marigold and dill, with marigold having statistically less pests present that dill in all three environments. No statistical differences were observed for the other categories in timepoint one, meaning that there were no differences between numbers of beneficial or incidental insects between companion crops. Insect results from timepoint two highlight a significant difference between companions (p=0.041) specifically between basil and cilantro treatments, with cilantro having more beneficial insects than basil. Future studies should focus on expansion of this project through on farm trials with larger plot sizes, as well as long term soil assessments, in order to better understand how companion cropping in cannabis affects ecosystem services long term.
Publications
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